Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday was awarded the “Strait of Magellan” Award by the Chilean government for his global leadership to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Ban, who now serves as chairman of the National Council on Climate and Air Quality as well as president and chair of the Global Green Growth Institute, won the award for his contribution in leading the international community to adopt Sustainable Development Goals and in reaching

Jeong Eun-kyeong, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, has been named among the top 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020 by the BBC, the British broadcaster said Monday. “This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times,” it said. Introducing the commissioner as the “virus-hunter,” it said Jeong, a preventive-medicine specialist, has led Sout

One member of US Forces Korea (USFK) stationed at its headquarters in the city of Pyeongtaek tested positive for the new coronavirus Tuesday, the US military said. It is the first case of COVID-19 that USFK has reported at Camp Humphreys since early last month. The latest case brought the total number of new coronavirus cases among USFK-affiliated people to 369, most of whom tested positive upon arrival here from the United States. "Notifications to those affected, case trace, and team

South Koreans in the greater capital area were forced to adjust to toughened social distancing rules Tuesday as cafes banned indoor seating and moviegoers were told to eat popcorn outside theaters. The new Level 2 guidelines took effect at the start of the day after the government raised the scheme to stem the recent surge of the coronavirus. Most notably, cafes were ordered to offer takeout and delivery only, while restaurants were told to do the same after 9 p.m. Small cafes, in particular,

As resurgence in Seoul rapidly fills hospital beds, public doctors at the National Medical Center on Tuesday proposed home care as an option for mildly sick patients with COVID-19. Seoul saw a near-record rise in daily new infections of 132 on Tuesday, continuing the weeklong streak of summer wave numbers. Health care facilities, especially intensive care units, are once again being strained to their limit in the capital area, the NMC doctors warned. There are 125 critical care beds that can

Of Korea’s 17 areas, Seoul stays at 4th, Sejong at 12th

The prosecution on Tuesday indicted the mother-in-law of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl on charges of violating the medical law and fraud. Prosecutors believe the 74-year-old woman, surnamed Choi, established a medical foundation to run a long-term care hospital for seniors in November 2012 even though she was not qualified to do so. The hospital was caught for illegally receiving 2.29 billion won ($2.06 million) in medical care insurance allowances for two years from May 2013, according to

The largest umbrella labor group in South Korea is sticking to its plans to launch a general strike and nationwide rallies Wednesday, despite warnings from authorities about the COVID-19 situation. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said Tuesday that the one-day walkout will go ahead as previously announced, and striking members will take to the streets in small groups throughout the country. In the capital, rallies of nine people or fewer at various locations are planned in accordance

City enforces tougher measures to curb virus

South Korea said Tuesday it has decided to ban free-range chickens and ducks until early next year as the nation is struggling to prevent the outbreak of avian influenza. Local farms will be advised to keep poultry indoors to prevent them from coming in contact with wild birds or their droppings, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The ban came as the country has reported six cases of a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu across the country since late October, wi

Daily cases back to over 300 as cluster infections continue to pop up

BUSAN -- A fire broke out at an apartment building in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, leaving one dead and 23 injured, fire authorities said. The fire started at around 6:50 a.m. on the 12th floor of a 24-story apartment building in the northern ward of Geumjeong in the city, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. A man in his 40s was found dead in the bedroom of his home on the 12th floor, while 23 others, including his teenage son, have been sent to a nearby hospital for smoke i

Antibody tests on young enlistees in the nation’s military showed immunity levels three times higher than average for all age groups, government data revealed Monday. Of the 6,959 enlisted soldiers aged between 20 and 22, whose samples were collected in September and October, 15 tested positive without having been previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Ten others with a history of COVID-19 also tested positive. This means 0.22 percent of the people considered uninfected had an immune r

An exhibition of extended reality content will open at Incheon Airport on Tuesday, as part of the 24th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Co-organized by the Embassy of France in Seoul and the French Institute, the exhibition, titled “Beyond Reality over Incheon Airport,” will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Dec. 13 at the airport’s Terminal 1. Under the theme of “traveling,” the exhibition features virtual reality projects – 360-degree vide

The state human rights watchdog on Monday advised police to make interpretation services available when questioning foreign nationals involved in a criminal case. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) advised the National Police Agency chief to improve the system and remove language barriers in order to protect the lawful rights of foreign nationals under investigation. The recommendation came as a result of a petition by a South Korean woman to the commission that her Morocca